Smart home Apple: the subtleties of organizing home control systems from the "apple" company

Sound and Siri

Well, here all Western reviewers revealed secrets a long time ago. HomePod really sounds impressive. You can hear it from the moment you first turn it on.

The speaker uses six built-in microphones to properly distribute sound throughout the room. Testing was done in a bedroom where several objects were fairly close, including a bed, a TV, and a closet. The column itself stood on a wooden pedestal.

And you know, I was pleased with the HomePod sound. Due to the absence of inadequate bass, which prevails in acoustics of low and middle classes, you can listen to the speaker for a very long time - without fatigue and tension. The built-in subwoofer provides deep and clear bass sound.

Medium and high frequencies should appeal to most users of apple technology.The only thing is that the averages do not always stretch. For example, in Marilyn Manson - Personal Jesus or in AC / DC - Thunderstruck. They also have problems with vocals in some places, it is slightly drowned out by guitar motifs and fades into the background. Not critical.

And in Santa Esmeralda - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, a small unusual hoarseness appeared, which lasted until the very end of the composition. But I didn't feel any discomfort.

Moreover, all songs were tested both through Apple Music and through manual download in FLAC format. There are no complaints about pop music at all. Everything plays as intended.

Uniform sound is one of the first signs of Hi-Fi acoustics, and Apple knows about it. Indoors, the speaker sounds very good even at the other end of the room, at maximum volume. Using spatial orientation technology, the speaker detects which part of the room it is located in and automatically adjusts the sound.

Plus relays it in the direction of the listener. So you can move around the room without problems, the composition in any part of it will sound exactly the same. And this is really cool, I have not heard this before.

My main complaint about the sound remains the impossibility of manual tuning. There is no equalizer here. HomePod itself adjusts the sound for each song. Sometimes not very right.

But Siri made me very, very, very, very STRONGLY upset.

She's dumb as hell

And this is despite the fact that the voice assistant will hear you even at maximum playback volume.

In Russia, most Apple services do not work, just like connecting to third-party services.Through Siri on HomePod, you cannot find out the latest news, call a taxi, or find out the weather forecast in many cities. I asked the weather in Moscow three times, but I never received an answer.

As for the definition of voice, the situation here is ambiguous. I don't understand how Siri distinguishes the speaker's owner from a stranger. If you grant HomePod access to messages, notes, and so on, then anyone can send and listen to them while talking to HomePod. Not a very safe feature.

Yes, you can disable this feature, but then you won't be able to use HomePod to send or receive messages, set reminders, or take notes. In the American version, this is generally a game, you can’t send a Russian message yet, so this functionality automatically disappears.

To make a call, you need to dial a number through your iPhone and then select HomePod as the audio output source. And nothing else.

Smart watch

In fact, in this case, it is stupid to talk about plagiarism, since the Apple Watch entered the market, obviously filled with analogues - there was no surprise. If you delve into the archives, you can find references to a curious device that was released in 1972. Pulsar NLC01 is a digital wrist gadget from the Hamilton Watch Company, which had a memory function, however, only for the 24th. It did not differ in outstanding functionality, so the manufacturing company, like Apple half a century later, acted cunningly by presenting a version in an 18-carat gold case to customers.

And the first really "smart" not only in advertising, but also in practice, was the Seiko Data 2000 watch, released in 1983.A very remarkable device, complete with a keyboard adapted to be worn on the arm, it looked like a small computer and, in fact, it was, but with reservations. Just like the first generation Apple Watch, conditionally useful only if you have an iPhone.

App Store

The service officially launched on July 10, 2008, and with the release of the iPhone 3G in iOS (then still iPhone OS), support for buying applications appeared by default. The assortment at the time of launch was ascetically small - 522 software products, less than a third of them are free.

The most common price tags for the rest were $0.99 and $9.99. Apple managed to get ahead of its main competitor in the face of Android from Google in almost all respects, and this is entirely the merit of comrades from Cupertino. But the idea of ​​trading software online in this format was not invented by them at all.

Digging into the history of the Internet, we find that until the beginning of the new century, the implementation of software was carried out in antiquated ways - largely due to the absence of gadgets such as smartphones. Everything changed when mobile phones became so perfect that they came close to this concept. It was then, the first of its kind, that the InHand application from Handango appeared, which was installed on the device and served as a client for the trading service.

Add-on boards (shields)

To increase the capabilities of motherboards, shields are used - additional devices that expand the functionality. They are made for a specific form factor, which distinguishes them from modules that connect to ports. Shields are more expensive than modules, but working with them is easier.They are also equipped with ready-made libraries with code, which speeds up the development of your own smart home control programs.

Shields Proto and Sensor

These two standard shields do not bring any special features. They are used for more compact and convenient connection of a large number of modules.

Proto Shield is almost a complete copy of the original in terms of ports, and in the middle of the module you can glue a breadboard. This makes it easier to assemble the structure. These add-ons exist for all full-format Arduino boards.

Proto Shield is placed on top of the motherboard. This slightly increases the height of the structure, but saves a lot of space in the plane.

But if there are a lot of devices (more than 10), then it is better to use the more expensive Sensor Shield switching boards.

They do not have a bradboard, however, power and ground are individually connected to all port pins. This allows you not to get confused in the wires and jumpers.

The surface area of ​​the motherboard and sensor boards is the same, however, there are no chips, capacitors and other elements on the shield. Therefore, a lot of space is freed up for full-fledged connections.

Also on this board there are sockets for easy connection of several modules: Bluetoots, SD-cards, RS232 (COM-port), radio and ultrasound.

Connecting auxiliary functionality

Shields with integrated functionality are designed to solve complex, but typical tasks. If you need to implement original ideas, it is still better to choose the right module.

motor shield. It is designed to control the speed and rotation of low power motors.The original model is equipped with one L298 chip and can drive two DC motors or one servo at the same time. There is also a compatible part from a third-party manufacturer, which has two L293D chips with the ability to control twice as many drives.

relay shield. Frequently used module with smart home systems. Board with four electromechanical relays, each of which allows the passage of current with a force of up to 5A. This is enough to automatically turn on and off kilowatt devices or lighting lines designed for alternating current 220 V.

LCD Shield. Allows you to display information on the built-in screen, which can be upgraded to a TFT device. This extension is often used to create weather stations with temperature readings in various living quarters, outbuildings, garages, as well as temperature, humidity and wind speed outside.

The LCD Shield has built-in buttons that allow you to program the page through information and select actions to send commands to the microprocessor

Data Logging Shield. The main task of the module is to record data from sensors on a full-size SD card up to 32 Gb with support for the FAT32 file system. To record to a micro SD card, you need to purchase an adapter. This shield can be used as a storage of information, for example, when recording data from a DVR. Produced by the American company Adafruit Industries.

SD Card Shield. A simpler and cheaper version of the previous module. Such extensions are produced by many manufacturers.

Ethernet Shield. The official module for connecting Arduino to the Internet without a computer. There is a micro SD card slot, which allows you to record and send data via the worldwide network.

WiFi Shield.Allows for wireless exchange of information with support for encryption mode. Used to connect to the Internet and devices that can be controlled via Wi-Fi.

GPRS shield. This module is usually used to communicate "smart home" with the owner on a mobile phone via SMS messages.

Usage

Xiaomi Smart Home – smart home from Xiaomi

The study of the attached documentation to the device showed that the use of the device is possible at a distance of less than 2 meters from the router. In reality, the system works if it is located no further than 5 meters from the source of the Internet connection. Also, manipulations with the device's batteries indicated that this software, unfortunately, does not monitor the availability of sensors, and it is not possible to see how much battery power is left in it.

A review of the functionality of the device showed that the range of operation of each sensor when placed remotely in open space is up to 30 meters. In the Smart Home, the range is about 10 meters (provided that the signal passes through 2 walls). The review showed that the maximum number of devices that can be connected to the gateway is several dozen. Apparently, a home network can "master" several controllers at once with a certain set of sensors.

The sensor that detects the opening of doors or windows consists of 2 blocks:

• main (larger in size);
• auxiliary.

Smart Home Kit has a number of nice features

Transfer sound or image to another gadget

AirPlay was originally introduced in 2010 as an exclusive feature of the Apple ecosystem. Later, support for the standard began to appear in gadgets from other manufacturers.

With the release of AirPlay 2 in 2017, the technology has become quite widespread. Already several dozen manufacturers of television and audio equipment are adding this option to their TVs, speakers, soundbars and other gadgets.

What devices it works on: the first version of the standard appeared back in the days of iOS 4 and is supported by almost all models of Apple technology that are in use. The chip even works on bearded iPhone 4s and Apple TV 2-3 generations.

AirPlay 2 with multi-room support works on iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch with iOS 11.4 or later. The feature is supported on Apple TV 4/4K with tvOS 11.4, HomePod and Mac with iTunes 12.8 or macOS Catalina.

How to turn it on: No need to turn it on, everything is ready to use out of the box.

How the trick works: using AirPlay, you can broadcast the image, sound, or completely duplicate the screen of your iPhone, iPad or Mac to a speaker or TV. The latter must support the technology or be connected to Apple TV.

The chip is enabled from the control center on mobile gadgets or the player menu on a Mac.

Here is a set of useful and convenient chips that you can use if you have several Apple gadgets in the house. For some users, this will be a great addition to everyday scenarios for using technology, and for others, it will be a great reason to replenish your park of apple gadgets.

Well, lovers of Windows and Android, can your gadgets do this?

There is nothing similar for Windows and Android.

Overview of smart home devices controlled from iPhone or iPad

Rumor has it that Apple is developing an iOS-based platform that will be integrated into the smart home system.This could revolutionize the concept of smart home systems and unite all disparate remotely controlled devices into a single network. This is a big step towards the Internet of Things.

It has been reported that Apple at WWDC is ready to introduce a new software platform for the iPhone and iPad, which is able to interact with devices connected to the global network, such as security systems, lighting devices and home appliances.

These are far from the first attempts to combine smart home elements into one standard; Belkin’s WeMo automation system and SmartThings and ZigBee open standards systems were previously presented. But segmentation and competition in the home systems market does not allow the development of a single universal system that would allow controlling devices from different developers. But the need to create a universal solution is present and Apple has a great chance to occupy this niche. And the presence of a huge army of fans gives the company a real chance that peripheral manufacturers will respond to an independent platform and provide support for it in their devices. Many devices already today support interactions with apple devices. We have prepared a small overview of products that can interact with iOS in some way.

Philips Hue

Perhaps the first device that can be attributed to the smart home system running iOS was introduced in 2012 in the Apple Store. Philips Hue - LED lamp, which is able to change color and brightness depending on the settings.The system was presented in three basic packages, each of which included a wireless hub capable of controlling up to 50 lamps through a special application. The user can control the color, brightness and set the intervals for turning on and off the light.

Philips is gearing up to expand its range of fixtures and will soon introduce pure white light bulbs, physical switches and a 3D printed light fixture.

Nest

Former head of iPod development, Tony Fadel, introduced his Nest smart thermostats in 2011. Since then, the company has significantly expanded its line of products and introduced smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

The thermostat is a system for controlling climate technology using the Wi-FI protocol. In addition to the basic functions of remote control of temperature and settings, Nest is used to save electricity. Security sensors became famous for a security hole that allowed them to turn off the alert function with simple hand movements in front of the sensor. All devices were recalled by the company for revision.

Kewo

Kevo Kwikset has become one of the best examples of an automated yet secure Bluetooth 4.0 door lock control system. At the same time, the company faced security issues in the Wi-Fi-based system. For iOS devices, an application has been developed that runs in the background and waits for a Bluetooth signal from the lock, thus simplifying the process of opening and closing the lock.

Sonos

Sonos has made a name for itself with audio systems that are controlled over the internet.The wide range of devices includes products from mid-range desktop speakers to full-fledged home theater equipment, all controlled through a single application. A single system, organized on Sonos devices, is capable of playing separate audio streams in each room or sounding the entire house with a single music track, at the request of the user.

Airplay

Apple's authoring platform for streaming audio and video from iOS and Mac devices to TVs and other equipment that supports this protocol. Many modern multimedia companies provide their devices with AirPlay support, which is often driven simply by the desire to provide a competitive advantage.

Slow devices, fast software

The fundamental difference in approach lies in the interaction between hardware and software. Apple requires device integration, Nest does all the integration in the cloud.

Our team created one of the first devices to connect to Nest. It took our engineer just a few days to complete the integration, certification and testing process. Almost everything is done in the cloud, not on the user's local Wi-Fi network.

It didn't take us much effort, plus the Nest team has been very supportive and their documentation is publicly available and well laid out. Apple does things completely differently.

In order to simply look at the documentation for integrating HomeKit devices, you need to access the MFi (Made for iPhone) developer program. It's no joke, you'll have to wait weeks for approval just to see the requirements for a HomeKit device.

Apple requires your device to have an authorization chip built into it, which you can only buy from Apple. Existing products cannot be connected to HomeKit without changing their wiring diagrams.

In addition, you must produce your product in cooperation with one of the approved manufacturers. If your current partner is not on this list, you will have to move your assembly line to a new factory. Your device would be forced to test and certify in one of the laboratories approved by Apple. As I understand it, there are very few of them: for example, my friend from San Francisco had to send his devices to the UK for testing.

I've even heard that Apple is looking into your packaging to make sure the colors you choose don't match its branded schemes. Personally, I don't believe this is true, but anything is possible.

A new way to find and use apps with App Clips

An App Clip is a visual, simplified version of an app that you can open when you need specific features. App Clip thumbnails linked to specific products or companies load in seconds and give you the ability to instantly rent a scooter, buy a coffee, pay for parking, or take another action. They can be easily found and opened by scanning the new Apple-designed App Clip codes1 or using NFC tags or QR codes, or sent via Messages or Safari, all with the same level of privacy and security as the original applications.

To make the house smart, no renovation is needed

To install a smart home system, you don’t need to ditch walls, redo repairs in an apartment or office, call specialists and learn how to use some complex applications for a long time.

To move to a new level of comfort, you just need to place the devices around the house and spend a minimum of time setting up.

Today, more than five dozen companies produce HomeKit-enabled gadgets - any manufacturer that passes Apple certification can make their device compatible with the system. And it can be controlled from iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.

Among the Russian systems that support HomeKit, Rubetek stands out. By the way, she recently received the National Award in the field of consumer electronics in Russia PRODUCT OF THE YEAR.

Smart apartment set

Against the background of Western analogues, Rubetek's solutions stand out for their good quality, a full range of necessary features and a low price.

Now the whole house will be in a mobile phone. You can control devices, watch online videos, communicate with loved ones, control access to your apartment using one free mobile application, which is completely in Russian and has a user-friendly interface.

The system will allow the house to adapt to you, save you from performing regular routine actions. Thanks to her, you will be aware of all the events taking place in your home.

Just think, in total, from January to May 2016, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation registered 100,000 thefts with penetration into the home. On average, 657 apartments are robbed in Russia per day, or 27 apartments per hour.

In case of uninvited guests, opening windows, cabinets and doors, unpleasant situations (smoke, water leakage, gas leakage), you will immediately receive a notification and be able to quickly fix the problem.

Using the system you rationally use energy resources, save your time and money, reduce the risk of unforeseen situations.

Thanks to the smart home system, you can:

• instantly learn about all the events in the house
• turn on and off the lights in the room remotely, control underfloor heating and other heating devices, monitor electricity consumption and turn off devices
• control blinds and curtains on windows, automatically open gates and roller shutters from your smartphone
• control the closing and opening of doors and windows, monitor the movement in the room and record what is happening on video
• communicate with loved ones at a distance through a mobile application
• control any actions in the room with your voice
• create scenarios with a sequence of actions of devices in the house and conditions for turning devices on and off
• receive push notifications on your phone about all events in the house

Thanks to the system, you can do several actions at once with a single command. For example, you say “I left for work,” and all electrical appliances, lighting, and underfloor heating in your house are turned off.

It will also be possible to set up the automatic switching on of the light in the apartment when the doors are opened, the activation of heaters when the temperature drops, and even the opening of the blinds on the windows immediately after the alarm goes off.

Why you need a smart home

One of the most common applications of a smart home system is smart lighting, which allows you to turn the light on and off with your voice, adjust the warmth of the light, and control the brightness.Smart light is incredibly convenient. It is worth starting to control the lighting only with the help of your voice, as the usual switches will seem an outdated way for people from the past, the 20th century. You no longer need to get out of bed to turn off the light in the bedroom - just ask your voice assistant to do so.

Another frequently used smart home device is, the application of which is found immediately. Imagine: you left home or even went on vacation, and remembered that you forgot to turn off the iron. Or worried and want to check. What does a person do without a smart home? Correctly! He starts to struggle to remember if he turned off the iron, then he tries to remember if his iron has an auto-off, and, finally, he begins to sort through all the possible scenarios in his head. Someone can not stand it and returns home, others ask their loved ones to come and check the notorious iron. And if you have a smart plug, just go to the application and turn off the power with the press of a button. That's how easy it is to save your vacation. Or an apartment.

Voice control is a necessary feature for a modern Smart Home in 2018. Moreover, thanks to technological advances in voice control and artificial intelligence, the voice assistant is now the control center of an automated home.

A smart home controlled via an application on the phone, without a voice assistant - this is the level, at best, of 2011. And in order to simply turn the light on or off, you need to find the phone, open the manufacturer's application, find the appropriate device, and only then perform the desired action. With a voice assistant, all you have to do is say, "Turn on the lights."

Currently, among the four voice assistants for smart home home control Russian only works in Alice and Siri. Google Assistant spoke in Russian, but it is not yet possible to call commands at home, and Siri does not work in Russian in HomePod. Therefore, for Russia, the assistant is now the most relevant.

The most popular device with a voice assistant today is a smartphone. The voice assistant is now available in almost all modern phones: the iPhone has a built-in Siri, and the Google Assistant app on Android smartphones. You can activate the assistant by pressing a button or by starting a command if the assistant on your phone is in the “Always listen” mode. So, if you have an iPhone, you need to say "Hey Siri" and then say a command.

The main device for managing the Smart Home in 2018 is becoming with a built-in voice assistant. This is a fundamentally new way of interaction between a person and an apartment. Each IT giant has already released its own smart speaker or a whole line of speakers: Amazon has Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot, Google has and, Apple has, Yandex has Irbis A.

Controlling a house through a column has several advantages:

• The column is always connected to power, it cannot be discharged.
• The column always listens to you, you do not need to carry a phone / tablet / watch with you around the house.
• Each family member does not need their own expensive phone.
• The speaker can be used as a home audio system with high sound quality, especially when it comes to HomePod or Amazon Echo.

Managing a modern smart home is not only an application on your phone with icons of connected devices, but also a full-fledged dialogue with your virtual "butler", from whom you can find out about the weather and traffic jams, ask for the latest news, ask to fulfill some request and receive from answer him in the most familiar form for a person - in a voice, in his native language. At the same time, a personal assistant does not have a bad mood, he will always be happy to see you, and will always be ready to help, as soon as he says “Hi, Alice” or “Hey, Google.”